WALSALL will lean heavily on youth again tomorrow when they face Milton Keynes Dons at Bescot Stadium (1pm).

WALSALL will lean heavily on youth again tomorrow when they face Milton Keynes Dons at Bescot Stadium (1pm).

With injuries still biting deep into the squad, manager Paul Merson is again set to field a team almost half of whom will be teenagers.

Five of the starting XI at Port Vale last Saturday were in their teens and they look set to figure once more.

Youth will brim from every department of the team - from John Ruddy in goal, Anthony Gerrard and Danny Fox in defence, Simon Gillett in midfield and Ishmel Demontagnac up front.

Merson has long been an advocate of giving youth its chance. But he admits the injury crisis is forcing him to ask a great deal of his young guns.

"It's good to have young players coming through," he said. "But they are learning. And in the first-team it's a hard way of learning.

"I knew the situation here when I took the job. I knew about the budgets and that I wouldn't be bringing in £30,000-aweek players. But these lads are good players, just not the finished product yet.

"They have shown what they are capable of and as they get more experience they will become more consistent."

Merson needs his men and boys to blow hot tomorrow. The League One table is so tight that, while victory would lift Walsall into the top half, defeat would leave them vulnerable to dropping into the relegation zone seven days later on their trip to Huddersfield.

They face a Milton Keynes side boosted by two successive victories and led up front by former Saddlers big man Clive Platt and the speedy Izale McLeod.

Height and pace have troubled Walsall's defence big-style this season so the Dons will fancy their chances of breaking through.

"Big men have caused us problems all season," admitted Merson. "It's a shame Ian Roper won't be ready for a another week because he's always done really well against Platt.